Container with ice support



March 1, 1966 G. E. CUMMINGS 3,237,801

CONTAINER WITH ICE SUPPORT Filed March 50, 1964 E ,4 ,a //////////////j/2 INVENTOR. l6 GORDON E. CUMMINGS ATTORNEY,

United States Patent 3,237,301 CGNTAENER WHH lCE SUPPORT Gordon E.Cummings, R9. Box 04-, Gerber, Calif. Filed Mar. 39, 196%, Ser. No.355,843 2 Claims. (will. 22-9-93) This invention relates to an icedispenser for drivers.

Many accidents on highways are caused by so-called highway hypnosis ordrowsiness. Drowsiness is the cause of taking the life of many innocentpeople and causing extensive property damage.

The remedy for such drowsiness is placing a piece of ice in the mouth ofthe driver because as soon as the ice touches the tongue of the driverhe is awakened and is kept awake while the ice melts. Some times severalpieces of ice are needed, to keep the driver awake but in general alimited supply usually will suflice for an average trip.

The additional problem of the driver is that even if he is informedabout the discovery that a piece of ice will overcome drowsiness hewould have to stop at some place where ice may be furnished.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a container forcracked ice or ice cubes which can be kept in a convenient place easilyaccessible to the driver and which is insulated so as to keep the icefrom melting; which container will remain in position irrespective ofthe movement of the vehicle; and which container is so shaped that itscenter of gravity is nearer to the bottom of the container when loaded;and further the container is provided with a suitable closure which willtightly insulate and close the access opening or mouth of the container,the said mouth of the container being large enough to admit the hand ortne driver for convenient and easy access to the ice; furthermore,adjustable means are provided in the container to keep the ice out ofthe water that may accumulate at the bottom of the container.

1 am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements andcombinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the detailsof the construction thereof without departing from the scope of thepresent invention as set forth in the following specification, and asdefined in the following claims; hence I do not limit my invention tothe exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts asdescribed in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to theexact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings for the illustrative embodiment of the invention,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ice dispenser.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the ice dispenser on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a fragmental, perspective detail View of the hanger bracketfor the ice lift.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ice lift and its hanger arm.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention herein I make use of acontainer body 1 made of a suitable heat insulating material such asexpanded polystyrene of suitable thickness. The shape of the body 1 issignificant, namely it is wider at its bottom 2 than at its top 3 sothat the sides 4 of the body 1 converge upwardly.

The body 1 has therein an inner container lining 6 preferably made ofpolyethylene. The top 3 of the body 1 has an opening 7 therein throughwhich extends a neck 8 of the inner container lining so as to form themouth or access opening 9 of the container. In the present form the hole7 and the neck 8 are of rectangular shape as shown in the top of view inFIG. 1.

The mouth 9 is covered by a tight insulating lid 11 provided with aspring hinge 13 biased for urging the lid 11 to the open position. Theside of the lid 11 opposite the spring hinge 13 is provided with a latch14 of any suitable type which is easy to snap shut or open.

The bottom surface 16 of the bottom 2 of the body 1 is suitablyroughened or otherwise provided with a friction surface so that incombination with the weight of the ice and water in the container itmaintains the container against sliding or slipping.

A lift panel 17 is provided inside the container. The lift panel 17 is aperforated disk of such diameter that it is insertable edgewisediagonally of the mouth 9. The edge or periphery of the perforated liftpanel 17 is spaced from the inner periphery of the cylindrical containerlining 6 so that it may be easily moved into adjusted heights relativelyto the bottom 18 of the container lining 6. An upright lift arm 19extends from the top of the lift panel 17 and is turned at its upper endinto a hook 21. On one side of the neck 8 is suitably fixed a hangerbracket 22 with vertically spaced holes 23 therethrough. By disengagingthe hook 21 from one of the holes 23 and placing it into another holethe position of the lift panel 17 can be adjusted so that the ice cubesor cracked ice thereon are always in convenient depth for quick accessby the driver. As the ice slowly melts water collects in the bottom ofthe container below the lift panel 17 and thus the center of gravity ismaintained within the lower portion of the container thereby furtherpreventing the tipping over of the container. As the ice is used up, theuser can reach in and grip the lift arm 19, disengage the hook 21 from alower hole 23 and reengage the hook 21 with an upper hole 23 to lift theice closer to the mouth 9 and also to lift the ice out of any water thatmight have accumulated in the lower portion of the container, therebyfurther to retard the melting of the ice. The lift panel 17 is made of asuitably non-corrosive material strong enough to support the ice.

The device is simple, it can be easily filled with cracked ice or icecubes. The lid 11 is snapped shut and the ice is thus kept insulated.The driver places the filled container in a convenient accessibleposition and whenever he feels any drowsiness he reaches down, releasesthe latch 14 whereupon the lid 11 will snap open, and then reaches inand helps himself to cracked ice or an ice cube to be placed in hismouth. Then the lid 12 is closed and is held by the latch 14 in closedposition until the driver needs more ice. From time to time the drivercan adjust the position of the lift panel 17. The device is simple inconstruction, easy of operation and is eminently adapted for itspurposes.

A suitable handle 24, for carrying the dispenser, has its bent ends 24sprung into holes 27 in opposite corners 28 of the neck 9, so as to beswingable into an out of the way position to one side of the neck 9 whennot in use.

I claim:

1. An ice container for a vehicle driver comprising,

(a) a heat insulating body,

(b) a rectangular mouth on said body being of sufficient size to admitthe hand of a driver for access to ice in the container body,

(0) an insulating lid for covering said mouth,

(d) a perforated lift panel inside of said container for supporting theice above water collected in the lower portion of the container,

(e) an upright lift arm extended from said lift panel toward said mouth,

(f) a hook on said lift arm,

( g) a hanger bracket extended from said neck inward- 1y of thecontainer having a series of perpendicularly spaced holes at differentdistances from the bottom of the container engageable by said hook tosuspend References Cited by the Examiner said lift panel at adjustedheight above the bottom UNITED STATES PATENTS of the container, 1 (h)and a generally U-shaped handle having its ends gg gif 220 17 l curedinto said rectan ular mouth. 5

plv aly s g 2,447,787 8/1948 Atkll'lSOIl 22 ha e defined 1n 01am 1 and2,839,220 6/1958 Carlin 220*95 (t) hmng 1n sald body, 2,847,100 8/1948Hotchner. a rectangular neck on said llIllllg extendlng through 2,99,300 10 959 Engram 215-13 and forming said rectangular mouth, 3,070,25 312/ 1962 Brown 22063 (k) said hanger bracket being secured to the inside10 3,144,167 8/1964 Schultz 220-63 face of one side of said liningmouth, 3,152,729 19/1964 Piker 220-95 (1) and said lift panel beinginsertable diagonally through said rectangular th, THERON E. CONDON,Primary Examiner.

1. AN ICE CONTAINER FOR A VEHICLE DRIVE COMPRISING, (A) A HEATINSULATING BODY, (B) A RECTANGULAR MOUTH ON SAID BODY BEING OFSUFFICIENT SIZE TO ADMIT THE HAND OF A DRIVER FOR ACCESS TO ICE IN THECONTAINER BODY, (C) AN INSLUATING LID FOR COVERING SAID MOUTH, (D) APERFORATED LIFT PANEL INSIDE OF SAID CONTAINER FOR SUPPORTING THE ICEABOVE WATER COLLECTED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CONTAINER, (E) ANUPRIGHT LIFT ARM EXTENDED FROM SAID LIFT PANEL TOWARD SAID MOUTH, (F) AHOOK ON SAID LIFT ARM,